Poor Man's Meal - Recipe from Clara, a great grandmother in her 90's

Submitted by Mary on Mon, 08/03/2009 - 10:44am (1924 reads)

These days, many people need some cheap recipes to help get them through these tough financial times. I haven't tried this inexpensive recipe yet, but Clara does make it seem very yummy and worth trying. I like the way she cooks; it reminds me of my own grandmothers. I enjoyed her stories too. I'm sorry she had to quit school because her family was too poor to even afford socks. It's sad that there are kids today who quit school simply because they don't feel like going anymore, and yet there were many people in my grandparents generation and beyond who had to quit because they couldn't even afford the proper school attire, or the supplies, or they had to work to help support the younger children in their family.

My grandparents all struggled very much financially during the depression era too. They were very poor during their childhood, and I have heard many stories of the struggles they went through. As Clara said though... they survived. Not only that, but many people of that generation grew up to be hard workers who took care of their families and had a strong work ethic. As a whole, they also seem to appreciate what they have (or what they had). We have gone to so many estate sales of people of that generation, and many of the people saved so many things throughout their lives, yet they were very well organized. Manuals to appliances and electronics are neatly filed away, toolshelves have little bottles for each size screw and bolt, tablecloths from as far back as 50 years ago are pressed and ready to be used again. That generation appreciated whatever they purchased, and whatever they were given. Leftovers in the fridge aren't even considered leftovers; they are simply tomorrow's meal (or part of tomorrow's meal). I have such respect for that generation. I can't imagine what they think when they see home design TV shows that involve taking a sledgehammer to a counter top simply because it is out of style.

Let's get to Clara's ingredients: Potatoes, onion, oil, maybe some water, a couple of tablespoons of sauce, and hot dogs. I love how she doesn't specify what type of oil or what type of sauce; that generation doesn't need to specify details like that). Some people may be afraid of some of those ingredients (the carbs from the potatoes or the fat from the hot dogs, etc.), but clearly a Poorman's Meal from time to time didn't hurt Clara (and she is 93 or 94 years old now).

This sweet video of Clara is from DepressionCooking at YouTube. Check out their videos to see more great recipes from the Depression Era by Clara.